Internal-combustion engine.



G. A. F. AHLBERG. INTERNAL coNBUsTroN ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 28, 1910. 1,085,233, Patented .1311.271 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET l.

G. A. F. AHLBERG.

INTERNAL GOMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. z8, 1910.

1,085,233. Patented m1211914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET Zv G. A. P. AHLBERG.

INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 2s, 1910.

` 1,085,233, Patented Jan. 27, 1914.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

muren eterne earner onirica,

'GUSTAV A. F. AHLBEBG, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.,

INTERNAL-COMBUSTION ENGNE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 28,1910. Serial No. 594,519.

To all yunioni/T25 may concern Be it known that l, GUSTAY A. F. AHL- Bnno. a citizen of the United States. late of Laporte, Indiana, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State ot' Illinois, have invented certain new and useful linprovements in Internal-Combustion Engines, of which the following is a descrip tion, reference being,T had to the accompanying` drawings, forming a part of this specitieation, in which corresponding numerals ot' reference in the different figures indicate like parts.

My invention relates to internal combustion engines including arbnreters or charge forming and delivering devices therefor. and my object is to provide simple and ett'ectivc means for producing and maintaining an explosive mixture of standard or uni't'orm quality while varying the quantity thereof to conform in ratio to the successive variations ot the engine load. Stated iu general terms, l accomplish said object b'v providiim` a fuel mixing chamber having an air induction opei'iing leading thereto and an eduction opening:r leading therefrom to the combustion chamber ot an engine, a source oi hydro-carbon iuid maintained at a constant level, valves actuated by tluid pressure tor controlling the outletof the hydro-carbon fluid or liquid fuel tothe mixing chamber, means for compressing air with varying deg'rees of pressure in contormitv to the successive variations of the engine load and means Jfor releasing` said air in relative conformity to the impulses ot the engine, so as to induce a dow ot the gaseous or air and fuel mixture from the mixing chamber to the combustion chamber. there to be again cominingled with an additional volume of air in such relative proportion thereto as to insure complete combustion when ignited. the quantity of each charge from the mixingr chamber being' varied by the relative pressure and 'velocity ot' the inducing air current or liet, ali ot' which is hereinafter more pan ticularly described and definitely pointed out l in the claims.

ln the drawings, Figure l. is a central vertical scctionalvicw of an engine embodying the features ot' mv invention, the can bui-eter connected therewith being;r shown in elevation. Fig. is an enlarged vertical sectional View ot said carbureter taken upon the 'line 2-2, Fig. 3, viewed in the direction of the arrows there shown. Fig. 3, is a seci tional View in plantakcn upon the line 3-3, l 1r 1g. 2, Flg. il, is a longitudinal vertical sectional view similar to that shown in Fig. 3, of a modified form of carbureter, Fig. 5, is a Sectional view thereof taken upon the line 5 5, Fig. 2, Fig. (3. is an end elevation thereof, and Fig'. T, is a sectional view in plan of 'a portion thereof taken upon the line i-r, Fig. (3. Referring' to the drawings 1 Fig. l, represents generally the cylinder ol an internal combustion engine mounted upon a hollow casing 2. in which is fitted a crank-Shaft 3, having a crank l connected by means of a. pitman 5 in a well known waj,V to the interior of a hollow pistou (i. The crank is arranged to operate in a compression chamber 7, which is in direct communication with the engine cylinder and also with an air-inlet 8, which latter is provided with a valve 9 adapted to bc normally closed by means oit a spring 10 and opened b v piston suction in the manner hereinafter stuteipl. A. lever 1l, is pivotcd at .lllL to a rigid arm ll attached to the engine trame. Said lever is connected at 1lC by means of a link il to any well known forni ot' sleeve or collar lle upon an engine governor ot` the ufual type generally designated by llt. the driving gear of which is provided with a short. shaft upon which is mounted a sprmket-whcel il connected by a sprockecchain il to a like wheel not shown, upon Athe engineV shaft. Said lever is provided with a fork lli adapted to straddle the valve-stem Si which lis threaded and provided at its upper end w'th an adjusting nut 9b with which said fork is adapted to engage when the speed oi" the. engine is suliicient to cause the A.fgormnor to more said lerer-t`ork upward into the path ot' said nut so as to Contact therewith and thereby 'act to throttle the valve and limit the extent to which it may;v be. opened as a result ot the piston suction, which action will be more t'ully explained in describingr the operation of the engine. An eduction port 19 is formed in the piston in position to register with the lower end of a conduit lil when the piston is at the end ot its downward stroke as shown. T he upper end of the conduit 13 le-minutes in an induction port 11i leadingr to the combustion chamber 15. A deiector 16 is formed upon the piston to deflect the incoming fluids to the upper end ot' the com bustion chamber. An exhaust port li' is located opposite to the port le.

Paten-ted Jan. 2T', 1914i.

from the Said carbureter is provided with a horizontal partition 19, Figs. 2 and 3, which serves to separate the fuel holding chambers from a mixing chamber 20. Said partition as well as the other .parts constituting the casing with its divisions, are integral and are preferably formed by casting. Cylindrical casings 21 and 22 are formed apart from each, other and are extended upwardly partition 19 through the top of the casing an are provided with screw-caps 23. Each of said cylinders is provided withan internal annular shoulder 249. Each of said cylinders is accurately bo'red above" said shoulder and a plug 25 is fitted therein. Each plu has a central bore jwhich serves as a .gui e, one' for the stem of .a needlevalve 26 and the other for that of a like valve 27, a piston 28 beine formed upon the upper en d of the stem of the valve 26 and 'a like piston 29 upon they upper end of the stem of the valve 27. Each of 'said pistons is bored outl for thereception of a coiled spring 30 interposed between the piston and cap to hold the valve normallyc osed. 'An adjusting screw 3 1 is projected through each cap with its lower end 'in proximity to the piston for the purpose of limiting the up! ward movement of the valve. Transverse partitions 32, Fig. 3, are extended across the casing between the cylinders 21. and 22, which partitions extend from the top of the casing to a horizontal partition 33, thereby forming a chamber 34 which is in communication with the interior of the cylinders 211 and 22 respectively bv means. of ports 35 located beneath the pistons 28 and 29.

' A central vertical partition 36 shown in Fig.

. latter al like ply, so that water pumped into the compart- 2.andY indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 3,

serves to divide thecasing into two main chambers 37 and 38, in the former of which is located a transverse partition 39 of about.

half the height of the 'chamber and in 'the artition 40. The partit-ion 39 serves-to divide the chamber 37 into two com-I partments 41 and 42 respectively, the former of which is connected by means of a pipe 43 and a suitable pump, not shown, with a source of-water supply and the latter with a.

pipe 44 which l,serves as an overflow leading back preferably to said source of water supment 41 will overflow the partition 39 and be maintained at 'a constant level. The chamber 38 is divided in like manner by the partition 40 into two compartn'ients 45 and 46, the former of which is connected by means of an inlet pipe 47 with a pump and' "reservoir of liquid hydro-carbon and the latterfwith an outlet pipe 48 to provide for the overflow in the man-ner described with reference `to said water supply. duction ports 49 lead from the compartment 41 to n50 communicating with the mixing chamber 20, While like ports 51 'are formed in like manner to communicate with the lower Apore tion of the vcylinder 22 to deliverY liquid hydro-carbonto the Valve opening 52- therein.` A pipe` 53 is interposed between the airchamber 34 and the compression chamber 7 of the engine, preferably byA connecting the same directly with said chamber, as, `for example, at 54, Fi 1, The mixing chamber 2O is provide with an air induction opening at the left-hand end, better shown at 56 in Fig. 7, the area of which is adapted to ybe varied by means of a slide valve 57, adapted when adjusted, to be secured byv means of a set-screw 58. An opening 59 serves to connect the mixing chamber with a conduit 60, the end of which is tapered in the form of a nozzle 61, which isV-projected through the conduit 13 into the port 14, the

latter beingof suiicient diameter to form anv annular space around said nozzle. A valve. 62, Figs. 2 and'4, has its seatbeneath the opening 59 and' is held normally closed byy means of a spring 63 which is adjustably connected by means of lock-nuts, to the. pro jecting stem 64 of the valve.

Having thus described the 1 various parts of my improved device, l will now explain l.

and thence through the. ports 35, acts upon the pistons 28 and 29 to lift them to the full limit permitted bythe stems 31, thereby in turn fully opening the needle valves 26 and Y.

27. At the same instant thevport 12 of the engine piston is opened which permits the air from the compression chamber to pass into the conduit 13 and thence around the nozzle 61, through the port 14 into the combustion chamber 15.` Being deflected by the part lfiit passes-upwardly` and thence downwardly and out through the` exhaust port 17, y thus scavenging said chamber and at the same time forming an annular jet around the mouth of the nozzle, the velocity of which is suliicient by its suction to open the valve 62 and cause a flow of air into the mixing chamber,'and the valves 26 and 27 being then open, a chain' of water is likewise caused to flow there? through the valve opening 50 and one of liquid hydro-carbon through the valve opening 52. The several elements being there mingled, the vaporous charge is caused to flow from the mixing chamber to the combustion chamber where it is compressed by the upward stroke of the piston G. As soon as the port l2 is closed by the upward movementof the piston, the valves 26, 2T and 62 are likewise closed, and after each explosion the described operation is repeated, but constantly modified by the varying air pressure, which, in turn, is controlled by the relative extent to which the valve 9 is openedland hence by the volume ot air admitted. The movement of the engine piston being constant, it follows that a maximum volume of air would bc compressed to a maximum degree which would result in opening the fuel valves to their Yfull limit and drawing into the mixing chamber by suction a full volume ot' fuel and air. 0n the otherl hand any decrease in load and consequent increase in speed would be followed by a reverse movement of the lever 1l, so as to cause the fork 11i, to be moved nearer to j thenut 9b, thereby serving to prevent the t'nll opening of the valvet) upon the upstrolce of the piston and hence to throttle the air intake in proportion to the degree ot limitation of the valve movement. it is obvious that the lever might be so adjusted with reference to the governor and the nut 9", that in case the engine should attain an excessive speed the valve 9 would be entirely prevented from opening and inasmuch as no air could then enter the chamber T to be compressed by the expansion or downward stroke of the piston, it follows that thereY would be no air pressure at that, time to open the valves 26 and 27 and hence no fuel would be delivered to the mixing chamber upon said down-stroke 'and no explosive charge to the combustion chamber. The speed of the engine would at once be reduced and with it the throttling action upon the valve 9, when explosive charges would again be delivered in the manner described. said charges varying as stated in proportion to the varying demands of the load.

From the foregoing it will be seen that however much the load may be changed the explosive charge delivered will be controlled automatically to conform thereto and thatto the utmostnicety of variation by the air pressure; but notwithstanding the variation in quantity,` the quality of the fuelv charge will remain constant. The desired position of the valve 5T may be determined by experimentto admit the requisite quantity ot` air to t'orm an explosive mixture with a given adjustment of the fuel valves; when once adjusted, however, it may remain unchanged.

In Fig. 4, I have shown a modification ot' said invention which varies only from thatI shown in Fig. 2 in the construction and direction of movement of the fuel valves, the other features, except the caps upon the valve cylinders being the same in every respect, they have been given corresponding reference numerals. 1n the modication shown, the valves (S5 and 66 in the cylinders 2l and Q2 are formed to open outwardly and dmvnwardly and are seated in openings of the t'ull size ot the cylinders. The valve stems 67 and 68 extend upwardly through central bores in caps 69 and are held normally closed by means ot springs 70 the tension of which may be adjusted by nuts 71 upon the valve stems. The pistons 72, 73 are mounted upon said valve stems respectively below the air ports 35 so that the air pressure in the chamber 34 serves to press the pistons downwardly instead of upwardly as in the. preferred construction.

It is obvious that in eases Where the engine load is constant as, for example, in propelling motor boats, the air inlet valve 9 may be subject to arbitrary control. It is also manifest. that other features of the device may be modified without departing from the principle involved which is based upon a varying air pressure tolcontrol and deliver fuel chargesproportioned to vari-v ations in load while maintaining uniformity in quality.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In an engine ot' the classdescribed, the combination of a combustion chamber, a piston, a carbureter having a mixing chamber with air and fuel inlets the former of which is open to the atmosphere, and a mixture outlet in communication with a conduit leading to the combustion chamber, an air container, means tor compressing air therein with each expansion stroke of the piston, means for regulating the volume of air to be admitted for compression in relative. conformity to variations in the engine loadwmeans `ior releasing said air and con- ,veying the same into said combustion chamber, a normally closed` valve for admitting fuel to the mixing chamber of said carbureter and means actuated by air pressure from said air container for actuatmg said valve to admit fuel to said mixing chamber when the air in said container is under pressure. l

2. The combination with en engine having a combustion' chamber, of a mixing chamber having air and fuel inlets, a mixture outlet leading to the combustion chamber, a container, means for drawing air therein with one stroke and for compressing it with the reverse stroke of .the engine piston, means for regulating the volume of air so admitted in relative conformity to the Speed of the engine, means for releasing said opening lso air into the combustion with said conduit, means 40 scavenge said chamber and then deliver said mixture asia result of the suction thereby produced, means for normally closing said fuel inlet and means controlled by the action of said compressed air for opening the same at a predetermined time. n

3. The combination with an internal coinbustion engine, of a carbureter comprising a mixing-.chamber having air and fuel inlets, the former of which, is open to the atmos# pliere, a mixture outlet in restricted forin leading to a conduit in coimnunicationwvith the combustion chamber of the engine, a compression chamber, means for admitting air therein with each piston stroke in a given fdirection to be compressed upon the reverse stroke, means for regulating said air admitting means in relative conformity to variations in the engine load, means for closing communication between said compression chamber and said conduit leading to said combustion chamber, and means for said communication at the end of the compression stroke to release said compressed air into' said conduit with each expansion stroke; whereby a partial vacuum may be produced in said mixing chamber,

varying in degree in conformity to the variation Ain said air, pressure.

4. The combination withan internal combustion engine, of a carbureter having a mixing-chamber, an air inlet leading from the atmosphere thereto, means for varying the area of said inlet., a fuel inlet., a mixture outlet leading to a conduit in communication Withf the combustion chamber, an air compression` chamber in communication for regulating in variations of the ento be admitted relative conformity to gine load, the volume of air to said conipressionchainber with each alternate piston stroke and means vfor releasing said air into said conduit leading t0 the combustion chamber to cause a partial vacu um in said mixing-chamber and delive' a 4proportionate charge of mixed air and fuel to the combustion chamber to he further mixed with said air simultaneously admittedv thereto.

5. The combination with an engine' of the class described, of a carbui'etei', provided with a mixing chamber having air and fluid inlets respectively, a mixture outlet nozzle in communication with the combustion chamber of the engine, -an air compressing clia1nber,'incans for compressing air therein wi't1i`ea`cli expansion stroke ofthe engine. piston, Ameans for regulating the volume of air delivered lthereto at each return stroke in relative conformity to variations in the engine load, means for releasing said coinpiesscd air and conducting the saine against and around said nozzle outletand thence to said combustion chamber, to cause the dcchamber to first with a mixing *chamber having air, Water and fuel inlets respectively, a mixture outlet lnozzle in communication with the combustion chamber of the engine, an air compression chamber, air therein with each expansion'stroke 'of the engine piston, means for regulating the volume of air delivered thereto at each return stroke in relative conformity to variations in the engine load, means for releasing said air and directing the same to impinge upon said outlet nozzle and thence to passv to said combustion chamber'to induce ,a delivery of the explosive mixture to said'.com

bustion chamber, valves for normally closing said water and fuel inlets respectively to said mixing chamber and means for opening said valves by the action of said com-i pressed air to induce a delivery of' said, Water and fuel to said mixing chamber, 7. ln an engine of the vclass described, the combination with a combustion chamber ofll a compression chamber, a conduit leadinglli thereto from the atmosphere, a normally closed spring controlled valve interposed in said conduit, an element arranged to be moved into engagement with the valve stem to limit the opening movement-of the latter in proportion to the increase of speed of the engine from a predetermined normal. wherebythe air volume to be admitted tothe compression 'chaniber may be proportionately 'ai-led, a caiburcter having a. fuel mixing chamber. air the former of which is open to the atmosf phere. an 'eduction conduit leading there-'` from with its terminal in immediate prox. l

imity to said combustion chamber, a conduit leading from said compression chamber to said combustion chamber around the mouth of said terminal and means for releasing, said compressed air into said last named conduit substantially at the end of the expansion stroke of the piston.

S. The combination with an internal coinbustion engine, of a compression chamber, a -normall'y closed valve adapted to be opened means for compressing and fuel inlets leading thereto u means controlled by the ber simultaneously with the opening of said fuel releasing valve.

i). In an internal combustion engine, the combination of a carbureter comprising a mixingr chamber open to the atmosphere, a fuel chamber having liquid hydro-carbon therein maintained at a constant level, a piston-actuated valve for normally closing the passage between said fuel and mixing chambers, an air container, means for compressing air therein with each expansion stroke of the engine piston, governor controlled means for automatically varyingthe volume et' air to be compressed in conformity to load variation, means for conveying a p0rtion of said air so compressed to the piston ot' said piston-actuated Valve, a combustion chamber, a nozzle in communication with said mixing chzunber, a conduit leading from said air container to the combustion chamber of the engine. said nozzle being projected into said conduit, the latter being of greater diameter than that of said nozzle and means for delivering said compressed air from said air container to said conduit around said nozzle and into said combustion chamber at the end of each expansion stroke ofthe main piston. A

I0. ln an engine ofthe class described, the combination ot' a combustion chamber, a piston, a carbureter having a mixing chamber provided with un air induction opening, a discharge nozzle leading to the combustion chamber of the engine, normally closed valves, the respective openings of which lead to sani mixing chamber from water and liquid hydro-carbon reservoirs respectively,

water and liquid hydrocarbon reservoirs, the fluid in each of which is maintained at a constant level, means for openingr said water and liquid liydroscarbon controlling valves with each expansion stroke of the piston, a container, means for compressing air therein with `each expansion stroke of the piston, means for admitting air to said container and means for releasing said air with each expansion stroke of the piston into impingement with said discharge nozzle to induce a flow of fuel vapor through the eduction opening of said mixing chamber into the combustion chamber in quantity conforming to the relative degree of air pressure produced by each expansion piston stroke.

ll. The combination with an internal combustion engine of a carburetor, provided tavith a mixing ehamberhaving air and fuel inlets respectively the former of which is open to the atmosphere, a mixture outlet, a normally closed outwardly opening valve located in said mixture outlet, said valve heilig adapted to be opened by outward suction, a compressed air chamber, in communication with the engine cylinder, means for compressing air therein with each expansion stroke ofthe piston, means for regu` lating the volume of air to be admitted thereto for compression at each return stroke of the piston in relative conformity to variations in the engine load and means for releasing said air and directing the same to impinge upon said mixture outlet to deliver a previously mixed air and fuel charge to the combustion chamber together with the supplemental air charge by which said air and fuel charge is sucked in.

In testimony whereof, I have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, this 25th day of November 1910.

GUi'TAV A. li. AHLBERG.

lVitnesses Darm H. llnn'rcnnn,

J enana L. F isiiE. 

